Echoes of a Summer Dream
by A.W. LeMonte
Summary: It's been some time since the events in Mabase. Naota's 18 and going to university. His situation goes from bad to worse as old friends return. Haruko is back and this time with a friend and Naota's in for the ride of his life. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is a FLCL fanfic I'm writing with DanteVirgil09. However, I will take any suggestions you the readers might have.**

**Disclaimer: We own nothing of FLCL. That should explain enough. **

Chapter 1

I was amazed truthfully that I was able to get out of there. It seemed that escape from Mabase was nearly impossible when I was twelve but now, since that summer, I see life in a completely new way. It's odd. Never did I once think that I'd be attending the Academy of Minds. I actually published what happened to me all that time ago into a small manga and those who looked at my manuscript said that I had potential in writing fantasy and sci-fi so, they set me up with a scholarship that landed me here. Naturally, both my father and grandfather where optimistic for in my scholarship not only did they see a chance for me, but for each of them to hone and perfect their agendas. My father wished to restart his failed attempt at a new thing he called, "Funzines". Whereas Grandpa just wished to "further the ever-powerful and implacable hand of baseball over the world." Sad stuff I know.

I moved into my dorm just a few days after hearing this ultimatum and swore to myself to not go through public humiliation once again by telling the people around me that what happened to me did happen. Well, it was on the news in Mabase but that was small, very small in terms of popularity anyway. So, I kept my experiences to myself. The only place where any of that summer exists is in my head now and on the shelf of the city's manga section. The academy's stores as the host for my piece since, well I needed the money for my own expenses. I know what you'll say, "Expenses? What expenses do you have after getting a full scholarship?" The answer is simple, I have a life outside of my books unlike some people who never seem to leave theirs and walk around all day with the only words coming out of their mouths being the contents of all those books. It does drive you crazy so don't tell me it doesn't.

Anyhow, the city has everything that Mabase didn't as you can expect. A cool new nightclub, _Aphrodite's Passion Fruit_ which everyone says is owned by the Yakuza. I can believe that. From what the older people here say, it's an extremely lavish affair with torch singers, a full band, and the works essentially. There's also _Megaplexian Theatre_. A building which I believe would rival Notre Dame if lined up right beside it. Forty-eight individual movie theaters in one building I know seems daunting but then, what isn't in this city is yet to be determined. You have the girls swimming team, softball, and other things. It seems every sport this place has for women is so that we can watch their uniforms ride up. It's a disgusting thing to be honest, and people ridicule me for not really enjoying it.

I do like the view of a woman's upper leg but still, as you can expect, there's always the exception of a particular girl who shouldn't be wearing the short shorts and in truth, it kills the whole experience from the beginning.

The dorms here though are very big and very generous in terms of individual space. There's a large flat-screen TV in every dorm room bedroom, a king sized bed for both occupants, and a massive amount of space for each roommate's particular activities whatever they are. The crowning achievement I think though is the immense walk-in closet. I do so love it. The simple fact is I can stay in there for hours amongst my collection of black leather jackets and Under Armor clothes. It's a paradise. I essentially live in my closet some days but those are only when I don't want anyone bugging me. My roommate has yet to arrive so I savor every moment of silence I have. I know my last 'roommate' so to speak was an alien from another planet but still, even with her, I had boundaries. The sad part about those boundaries…she ran over them like a steamroller would flatten a cat; utterly, completely, and without regard to anyone's opinion.

Anyway, after just settling in, I thought it best to sit back, relax, and enjoy recapping over my manga series. True, it was a short one but hey, it was a short summer but with a lot of action. As I began to go over the final chapter, my concentration and my world of peace were both simultaneously shattered by the sound of light knocking on the door. I put my manga away, rolled my neck, and opened the door. The sight of the person who stood there floored me.

Eri Ninamori, the mayor's daughter stood right in front of me. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss her. She looked at me in her general way, like a stone statue who just stares with one preset emotion. She shook her head and then said with what could be argued a smile, "Good to see you again, Naota."

I nodded and she asked, "May I come in? Don't worry, I've got a pass from the Dean allowing for me to do so."

"Alright. No need to make everything you do in live so formal. Come in." I replied in my usual dulled tone. Although truthfully, it felt weird; a woman with you alone in your dorm room. I shoved the thought aside for I knew that Ninamori herself was far to polished and elitist to consider the thoughts I was having.

I won't deny that the past six years had been very kind to her. She'd developed perfectly. Her body was toned and sleek, her butt was firm filling her jeans completely, her legs were of the same condition and her chest, dare I say it was well developed as well. I'm not going to go into specifics but through the passing glimpse I got while she was looking at her watch, she was more than well endowed. She at down on the couch and I sat down on the chair adjacent from her.

She looked at me all over and then asked, "So, how's life been for you?"

I thought for a moment and said, "Fine. What are you doing here anyway?"

"My father insisted I come here to further my studies so, naturally, it's what I'm doing and you?"

"I'm here on scholarship from a manga company which serves as my publisher."

"I thought as much. I read them and truthfully, was rather upset by how you portrayed me."

"Hey! What do you want me to say? I wrote it while it was fresh on the brain. If you don't like how you're represented, then that's your problem."

She just looked at me with those sharp black eyes and said nothing. That was so much like death staring at you and asking by what method in his vast arsenal you wanted to leave the world. An uncomfortable pause ensued and I broke it, "So, how's your father?"

"Considering he left my mother for that trashy secretary of his, I'd say one's doing considerably well without the other. How's your life been this past summer?" her tone was almost sarcastic.

"You know, it's hard to believe that it's only been a summer. Seems a lot longer than that. But still, things are okay."

It was then that knocking was heard from the door again. I excused myself and opened the door to see a giant of a man. He stood roughly six-four and was ripped to shreds. He looked around and asked in an almost godlike voice, "Excuse me, this is Rm. 2321 right?"

"Yeah." I said almost in a mouse voice since I only came up to just above his abdomen, "This is the right place. How can I help you?"

"Oh good this is the right place," he said after looking around, he then yelled down the hall "Alright boys, bring it in."

A group of ten men in total came in. Two with an armoire, one with a mini-fridge, two with a rack of fencing foils, another two with a large navy blue steam trunk, and three others with large rucksacks. He smiled a big dumb goofy smile and said, "Hello, little man. I'm your new roommate, "Leonidas III". Ninamori asked from where she sat with a cynicism dripping off her ever y word, "Leonidas III?"

He kept beaming that huge goofy smile and nodded. Great. For me, it was bad enough that the man was a giant and a fencing giant at that. But as with so many in the city, he tried his best to infuse himself with the 'gangsta rapper' lifestyle of America. In all truth, I suppose it was a fair trade off. The rapper lifestyle was given to us and then some tourists come over here acting Japanese. Gangsters and Otaku seemed to go hand in hand. The American imitation vs. Japanese imitation was and still is very stupid in my view. I turned back to Ninamori and saw that she had gone out the window using the chain of balconies. I headed towards the window and saw her walking across the street to the playing field beyond. She turned back and waved at me even though I had said nothing for her to notice me.

I turned back and the big galoot was now splayed out all across the couch. In all truth, I thought it could be worse but then I should've known, with my life, that' exactly what was destined to happen.

After Leonidas left the room to go party at _Passion Fruit, _I was greatly relieved that there was once again silence. I headed back to my room only to find that everything of Leonidas's was set everywhere. My half of the room felt reduced to a cubicle thanks to the size of my companion's possessions. I was in the midst of wallowing in my disappointment when I thought I heard the sound the sound of a jet engine defending right outside my patio door. I headed back to the main room and was shocked by what I saw. A red and white Vespa motorbike lay on the patio with keys in the ignition and a note taped on the odometer.

I took the note in my hand and felt a feeling of absolute dread as I read the following:

Dear Ta-kun,

I hope life at this sweaty university's doing well by you. I know it's been a long time so, here's your present. And one more thing, a friend and I are going to be teaching at this place so hopefully we'll see you around. Actually I know we'll see you around but still. One last question, are you still angry with me for what happened all those years ago? Not that it really matters; I just want to know is all.

With Love,

Haruko

Great, I knew that there was a reason that I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and now here it was in black and white. What struck me as funny was that the simple idea of Haruko being a teacher. Those who gave her qualification must have either been blind or insane. I tried not letting it bother me but it couldn't be helped. I knew now that it was only a matter of time before strange things started happening again and just like last time, I'd find myself in the middle of the whole fiasco. I brought the Vespa inside and put in in the corner of the room. I looked at the note again and saw by the light of the nearby lamp writing on the other side. I flipped it over and read the following:

Oh, PS, the bike has a faulty braking system. I did the best I could on short notice.

I thought for a moment, "_First I get a giant of a roommate, then Ninamori comes back, and now this. I can't wait to see what happens next._" That thought would haunt me for the rest of my term at the university. I didn't know that at the moment but if I did, I would have taken it back a thousand times full.

**READ AND REVIEW PLEASE AND THANK YOU.**


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SONG, I'M TELLING YOU NOW. THIS BELONGS TO THE RIGHFUL OWNERS NOT TO ME.

Chapter 2

As I headed to class, it was the first day of classes but that didn't relieve the horrible knot in my stomach. If Haruko and this friend were teachers, I dreaded to think of the possibilities. The cold sterile hallways weren't very welcoming but then, neither were the university uniforms. I hated mine personally. A white button up shirt with black slacks and black leather shoes seemed really confining. I hated the fact that we could dress however we wished outside of the institutional setting but unfortunately have to wear these clothes that destroy any part of our personality.

My first class was _History of Sexuality_ it sounded crude and rather stupid to me but my father insisted that if I was to be taken seriously as a writer, then the only option was to and I quote: "Hoan your skills in describing a sexual scenario." It was stupid I know. Unlike him, I didn't see the reason for such a class since I didn't write that genre of work but then, it was the only way I'd have peace from that end. So, I took it begrudgingly.

I entered the classroom and was at first, immediately dumbfounded by its size. It was as if I where sitting in an amphitheater. I looked around and found several students wandering in via the lower doors and sitting themselves in a seat of their choosing. I looked around and found someone sitting just four rows down from where I stood so I sat in the seat behind him. He immediately noticed where I was when I sat down for he simply turned his head after hearing the slight creak of the chair behind him.

He was very orderly in his dress but very odd to behold physically. But then, I suppose that it came from my suspicion that he was from America or thereabouts. His clothes where in such pristine condition, you'd swear that they'd never left their container for his pants where perfectly and creased, the buttons of his shirt polished and his shoes shined so well that I could see my reflection in them. His hair was shoulder length and it was straight for the most part but curled near the ends. He was very relaxed in all appearance with his feet propped up on the edge of the seat in front of him.

Noting how he had such little regard for the university's rules, I went up to him and said quietly, "Hey, you do realize you're not supposed to use the seats as footstools right?"

"Why should I care what the university says?" he asked in a cynical tone, "I don't consider myself lucky to be here. I think the university should consider itself lucky to have me."

"Gee, humble much?" I asked him.

He smiled and said, "No, not really. I just tell it how I see it is all."

He looked me over and said, "Well, you looking forward to your year here?"

I decided to be honest, "No, not really. The campus life is boring and not much of nightlife until you leave it."

It then struck me that the teacher of this class had the reputation of being the university's most boring teacher so I said, "Hey, what do you want to bet that this guy's about as eventful as a church picnic with religious sermons?"

He laughed lightly his brown eyes glistening as he said, "Yeah. I'll bet you this guy's spent all of his life looking up skirts then screwing the women rather than researching the history of anything related to the course." He stopped and reached into his uniform and said in a whisper, "Say, I've sneaked a copy of his mid-term from last year with the answers on it. Would you be interested?"

You can understand that my heart glowed to know that this guy had the answers to a mid-term that I'd have to stick around half the semester to ordinarily wait and study for. I smiled and said sounding rather overly eager, "Yeah how much?"

"I usually charge around forty to fifty yen for that kind of thing but since I like you how about oh…twenty?"

It was a good enough deal for me. The bell announcing the five minutes before the class started so I hurried the transaction and he gave me the midterm. While nearly everyone was seated, the guy jumped up and practically skipped down the steps and addressed the class, "Hello, students! My name is Prof. Reggie Nocturne and I'll be your teacher today in the History of Human Sexuality."

The blunder that I made hit me like a ton of bricks. This guy who'd seemed like the perfect guy to talk to was actually my teacher. I heard several of the girls chattering excitedly about him as he flashed them a smile which glinted in the sunlight.

He opened up the class by saying, "Ladies and Gentlemen, mostly ladies. I'd like to forewarn you all that everything about my class if very real and very physical. You're at this university to learn the truth behind most things so; it's my duty to show you how real things are. Your project is to conduct a study. Find out what you think the opposite sex sees as attractive."

Here some of the girls began to snicker and so did the rest of the room. The professor simply smiled and said, "Trust me; it may not be as simple as you think. For this purpose, I've divided the entire class up into groups of two. Each one is matched with someone who either I know they don't like, or with someone I know wouldn't be comfortable discussing the situation. You must find what makes this person tick both sexually, emotionally, and physically. You have till' the end of the semester. I'm going to read off whom you're going to be paired with and we'll see how things go."

He read off a series of names before coming to mine, "Naota Nandaba is to be paired with Eri Ninamori."

My heart just stopped. I looked around and saw her standing in the far corner of the room looking dead at me. It seemed to me that she'd rip my eyes out in private however; it was her usual stoic face was what concerned me. She walked over to me and just stared at me without as much as moving a segment of a muscle on her face. She let out a small sigh and crossed her arms as her eyes scanned me from head to toe. I was about to speak when she raised her hand with such speed, I felt a slight downward breeze come up and grace my face.

"I'm going to ask the questions, Naota. I'll be doing the observing, the general fun. You just enjoy your life as much as you can." She was very frank and that's what scared me even more. I couldn't say for certain but I just felt this feeling of wistfulness come from her.

Taking advantage of the slight pause between us, I asked. "So, what's your class after this?"

"Musical influence from nineteen-fifty to present." She stated very matter of factly. It seemed that everything about university made her just as blunt, droll, and literal as possible.

"Who teaches it?"

"A new teacher this year from some academy in Europe. That's all I know."

I tried as best I could to stay comfortable but it was extremely hard for her beauty was hypnotizing me more and more with every growing second. Her eyes seemed to paralyze me and keep me deliberately in place. What struck me as odd was when she said to sit down; I did so immediately without any hesitation. It was when the drone of the bell came that she said, "You can breathe now." I gasped air and she just looked at me and wrote down a note or two in a notepad which she'd brought out for the purpose of the experiment.

I looked at my schedule and saw that for some bizarre reason, I'd the same class with her again. In all my years of strange things, I began to think that it wasn't coincidence. I still remember with vivid detail how she'd rigged a simple play under the pretense of getting her parents back together as well as slake her lust amateurish and juvenile as it was at the time. Who was I to talk? I was now once again the juvenile and the evidence of such: I bought false mid-term papers from my own professor. It was sad I know.

The rest of the day wasn't so bad but my heart ached to be out of the entire place. My wish was granted seven hours later. Curse the damn speech by the dean. Anyhow, I felt everything was slowly getting back to normal as I approached the dorms. I got a soda from the machine and started my long trek up to my room. The place didn't have elevators for some bizarre reason. Despite all their teched out stuff, they didn't have an elevator.

Half way up, I saw my behemoth of a roommate tumble down the stairs clad in nothing but his underwear and a robe. He saw me and just kept running out of the place. His trunks, fencing equipment and mini-fridge whooshed down the open space of the staircase to the floor. Great thuds and booms where heard down below and I heard a cry of absolute despair. I looked over the railing and saw my roommate weeping over his mini-fridge like a man would weep over the death of baby. I headed cautiously up and when I came to my hall, I held my breath and inched along towards my door.

When I reached it, I heard the TV running faintly. I opened the door a crack and stealthily made my way into the room. I heard the shower running and within the bathroom, an all too familiar nasally voice singing the following:

_I'm telling you now  
>I'm telling you right away<br>I'll be staying for many a day  
>I'm in love with you now<em>

_I'm telling you now  
>I'll say what you wanna hear<br>I'll be telling you for many a year  
>I'm in love with you now<em>

_Do you think I'm foolin'  
>When I say "I love you"?<br>I love you  
>Maybe you'll believe me<br>When I'm finally through, through, through, through_

_I'm telling you now  
>I know it's been said before<br>Say you love me and I will be sure  
>I'm in love with you now<em>

_I'm telling you now  
>I'm telling you right away<br>I'll be staying for many a day  
>I'm in love with you now.<em>

I knew this moment in time was coming so I just decided that what was going to happen was going to happen. I took in a breath and yelled, "What is _I'm Telling You Now_ by Freddie and the Dreamers!" Then the most agonizing moment of my life came. The shower handles squeaked and the water ceased running. I fled back to the main room and lay like a corpse behind the couch. The door open and the soft tread of footsteps on the carpet could be heard. Then I heard her voice, "Oh, Ta-kun. Where are you my sweet little miscreant?"

She stopped and I heard the sound of sniffing, "I can smell your Polo cologne you know. It's only a matter of time." I smelled my uniform collar and it gave the pleasant clean scent of Polo Blue. I closed my eyes tightly and waited for the worst. It was only four seconds later that I could feel the drip of luke-warm water on my forehead followed by the scent of jasmine and water-lily shampoo. I opened my eyes barely to see those golden tiger-like eyes just peering into mine with a Cheshire smile stretched so that it looked as if she were snarling.

"Miss me, little one? Now that I'm back, you and I are going to have fun like you've never had it before."

_**READ AND REVIEW IF YOU PLEASE! THANK YOU!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: The song, **_**Hell Master **_**is one of my own creations and therefore, I own all rights to it. The group **_**Iron Sands**_** is also my creation. **

Chapter 3

I looked around and saw that while I'd had my eyes closed, she'd somehow pinned me so that I couldn't move my arms or my legs. I tried to raise my right arm which was the strongest limb in my body but she kept it so firmly, it only raised a fraction of a quarter of an inch. She smiled and shook her head as she got off of me. She then lifted me to my feet with a single powerful pull of her arm. Once I was on my feet, I realized that I was almost as tall as her. Her forehead gave her some leverage but it was roughly about two inches difference in all reality.

"Well, did you enjoy your first day at university, little creature?" she said in a mocking voice reminiscent of a mother speaking to a four year old.

"No," I replied, "It was completely and utterly unspeakably awful. I was conned out of twenty yen by a teacher pretending to be a student, there's a danger of falling mini-fridges in the dorms for some reason, and what's worse is, you're here and I've not the slightest clue why."

"I believe I said why in my letter to you. I'm teaching here. By the way, do you like the Vespa?"

"I've not tried it yet. I'm considering giving it to my former roommate in light of the fact, it has no braking system."

"But it _does _have a braking system…just not a very good one."

"Never mind that now what are you doing here? Unless you're here to reimburse me for the damages you caused to my house all those years ago, I've really no purpose for seeing you."

"No need to be snide, Noata. But unfortunately, you need me here or else, you're destined to fail your first year at university."

"What on earth are you talking about? I only need to do twelve credit hours for now at minimum I've fourteen so if I do drop a class that you teach, I'll be just fine."

"That's what you think, isn't it? Yet in all reality you can only drop one class. Since one of your classes is worth two credits, the establishment won't let you drop of class of that value off the bat. Besides, smart one, even if you were to drop that class, you'd need permission from your professor at such an early state and you that I won't do that."

"Oh yeah? Well enlighten me then, Einstein, what class do I have to endure you in?"

"I'll let nature surprise you. Besides, I've never had so much enjoyment from seeing rage and the general distortion your paranoia show itself on your pretty little face."

She headed into my room and came back with twenty yen. She smiled saying, "Here, your precious twenty yen. I can't believe you fell for the whole student teacher thing though. I thought you were at least smart enough to see through that." I took it and saw it was indeed my twenty yen. It was shocking in all reality until the dreadful truth asserted itself.

"Where did you get this, Haruko?" I asked dreading and half expecting the answer.

"Oh, from an old friend. You've met him already. The best part though, he and I are live in partners in crime," she put her hand over one cheek and whispered, "secretly hired to get you through this horrible initiation phase of university."

"You're telling me that my "historical sex" teacher is actually one of your…associates?"

"This isn't nineteen sixty's mafia, kid. Yes, he's a good friend of mine and provided you listen to him, you're going to have a blast of a first year."

She then went into my room and after a minute or two, came back out clad in a black jeans with rhinestone emeralds going along the waist; a V-neck red short-sleeved shirt; black vinyl boots that I'm assuming went up to her mid-thigh; and a black leather jacket. I looked her over and as sorry as I am to say it; her appearance was almost instantly entrancing. I looked at her and she motioned for me to go to my room and change. I went in and she closed the door. I looked on my bed where a navy-blue suit which reminded me of some nineteen-forty's gig, complete with gold-brimmed hat. I got into the antique which had an odd scent of watermelon-mothballs. Weird I know.

As I came out, she was looking through my DVD collection. She was throwing them in a pile behind her sorting them in some chaotic fashion. I went over to her and stopped her arm before she threw another one into the already growing pile that was at least forty DVDs deep.

"What on earth are you doing," I asked her, "Don't you know that those are _my _DVDs?"

"Well, I know that they're _your_ DVDs," she said with her usual passive look, "But if I'm gonna' live with you, you're going to get better movies. I mean face it. _Love Story_ went out of style twenty years ago."

"I don't care," I said my voice growing in tone, "I watch what I watch and what do you mean, live with me?"

"Oh, did I forget to tell you? You're moving out of these cramped conditions and moving to my flat on the far edge of the campus."

"I'll pass thank you."

"Actually, you don't have that much of a choice. Your grandfather spent the money from some of your grants to further his baseball ambitions."

I should've expected as much for it was just so predictable. Whenever I think something couldn't or wouldn't be done, it's just fate's way of smacking me in the face and saying to the effect that no matter what I thought was impossible was impossible.

"And everything you think that's false is true and everything that's true is false, right?" Haruko said with a smile in my direction.

My heart jumped up amongst my lungs. It was absolutely terrifying as if she knew my every thought. I looked at her carefully and in an attempt to switch the subject asked, "Well were are we going for this evening I mean, why am I so dressed up if we're not going somewhere?"

"Relax." She said in her usual dismissive casual tone, "We're going somewhere. You just have to dress so stylish because you couldn't get in otherwise."

"You mind telling me the name of this place?"

She said nothing but smiled in her usual mischievous manner and after desecrating my DVD collection, she took me to the balcony and with one swift movement, I found myself falling rapidly. Fear seized me for a moment until I felt the softest material under me. It was only then did I realize that the material was a felt seat belonging to a stretch limousine. Once I was upright, I saw Prof. Nocturne sitting opposite of me a whimsical smile on his face. His eyes drifted upward as Haruko came sailing through the moon-roof. I couldn't help but look at the dramatic entrance with some sense which said to me that her action sorta piling it on maybe.

Prof. Nocturne was dressed in a snazzy black tux with purple silk lining and his hair was tied back in a strait pony tail which was mostly hidden by his black fedora which had a feather in it. He sat back and took in a deep breath and then just relaxed let himself sink into the seat. I smelled something very strong in terms on mint and saw that Haruko was simply sucking on roughly six mint lifesavers. After a moment, Haruko picked up a phone nearby and told the driver that we were ready. The ride was long and from what I could tell, we where in the downtown part of the city since the smell of industry and chemicals rushed into my nose as the limousine door was opened. After Prof. Nocturne got out, we were lead by Haruko to our location.

The line was long to get into the facility but just upon looking at the façade, I could see why. Great pools as water stood in front of the entrance lit by light below filled with various fishes and water lilies. From the lights planted in the ground, the building's stone gave a dark green and light purple shine constantly and the lights from the inside shown gold and orange through the large diamond panes. Large gargoyles where perched on the top of the roof and overlooked the line as a large glass pyramid rose into the sky shining bluish-white.

Haruko went to the front of the line and gave to the bouncer three individual currency notes marked in scarlet. The bouncer looked at all three of us and upon spotting me he asked, "What is this some kind of joke? Twenty-five and over only." Prof. Nocturne went up to him and whispered in his ear and after a moment, the bouncer let us all in as if nothing whatsoever had happened. That's what struck me as odd. Not two seconds after Prof. Nocturne whispered to him, it seemed as if he'd forgotten everything about my apparent age.

As the doors closed behind me, red strobe lights went to and fro all over the room and heavy techno was pumping through the speakers. Then I noticed that the waitresses all wore very short mini-skirts, leather cat-suit like tops, and stiletto heels. I looked at both of them and they just smiled at each other and nodded after seeing my surprise. Prof. Nocturne headed over to a far corner table and after we all sat down, I ordered a drink of hard lemonade even though I wasn't of age. This little fact didn't bother either Haruko or Prof. Nocturne as they just watched.

Prof. Nocturne just leaned over to me and practically yelled over the boom of the techno, "Hey, don't worry about getting snockered. Just see it as your passing grade in my class. Besides, when we're here, I'm not Professor Nocturne alright? I'm just Reggie. Understand?"

I nodded my head but then my attention was brought to our waitress. A woman, who looked no older than twenty-three. She had reddish-brown hair and her outfit fit her so that I could easily say that it was skin-tight. She was beautiful her legs where long and smooth I could tell just by the flashing lights and how her black stockings wrapped around her legs. She gave me a smile which I took was customary service and after getting Nocturne's dinner order, she turned to me. More hypnotized by her beauty than anything else, I simply said replied for a plate of Cajun chicken. She took the order and soon after she'd written it down, she passed me running her thin fingers through my hair.

I continued to look at her until she vanished in the flow of other waitresses. I turned back to our table only to see that Haruko was gone. I looked around and saw nothing. Just then, I heard a soft male voice say over the sound system, "Ladies and gentlemen, for the group you've all been waiting for, please give it up for _Iron Sands." _Spotlights flooded the stage up the lit stairs before me and a group of musicians all clad in black robes came into view. I looked over the group and was surprised to see that Haruko was standing just to the left of what I assumed was the lead singer.

Drum sticks clicked four times and immediately afterwards, Haruko's bass began to ring out loud and crystal clear. Deep and powerful bass notes started off the music explosion so to speak for soon, the drums kicked in with military style drumming which then quickly escalated in rapidity and then began to work in sync with the bass. Then the electronic guitars began to let loose with a characteristic and iconic squeal of high A sharp. Then the lead singer began to sing in a growling voice but alternated between it and a treble voice.

_We're the soldiers of fallen a fallen race._

_We're the remnants of a shattered face._

_You hear the screams at night, the eternal fight for life._

_Why should they suffer for the rest of their lives? _

_Through strength, we find a way to survive. _

_Now go ahead and take your prize!_

_It's now your right to own their life!_

I felt an impulse to get up and join the rest of the crowd in the sea of lights which sparkled and glistened all around them. The deep thunder of the drums and base where making my temples pound and the general squeals and screams of the vocalists made me feel as if I was in a dream.

_You are their Commander!_

_You are their true master!_

_You are their Commander!_

_You are their true master!_

_Anyone who questions you, fuck them all!_

_Fuck them all!_

My vision became hazy and soon I found myself locking lips with a woman and at the same time having an intense battle of tongues. Her nails dug into my neck which just exhilarated me even more and I began to feel myself nibble her collar bone.

_You are the last word now! _

_To your darkest will, she will bow down!_

_Your deep kiss is ecstasy, that entrances for eternity!_

_You know it's not too late. You'll open her eyes to her fate._

_If she doesn't love you, she'll live in an eternal hate!_

The room was spinning rapidly swirling with everything going in and out of reality. I couldn't tell where I was anymore. The bass was what was making me feel this way but as I neared closer and closer to the steps, I felt myself being taken back by several women and deep sensual kisses being given to me right left and center.

_You are her Commander!_

_You are now her true master!_

_You're now her true master!_

_Anyone who questions you, fuck them all!_

_Kill them all!_

The song was wrapping up and soon the last thing I felt, were the three deep bass notes in A minor. Afterwards, my entire body went limp and I felt it convulse violently, then a very cool breeze came over me as I fell backwards. The screams and cheers of approval where my lullaby as I felt myself lose control of my body and fall into a deep sleep.

**AN: READ AND REVIEW. THANK YOU.**


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Sorry I've not updated in so long! Just a lot of things take hold and crap happens I guess. Anyhow, updates will be more and more frequent from this point on.

Chapter 4

When I awoke I felt as if I where in heaven. A cool constant breeze was rising and falling over my face and the smell of the apartment smelled like mango and kiwi. I opened my eyes and found that I was in someone else's house. My vision was extremely blurry and the large flat-screen I was looking looked as if it were the contents of a lava lamp. There where statues everywhere as well as sculptures of various masks. Their place of origin looked African as well as South American or somewhere there about.

I looked around and saw Prof. Nocturne sitting at a table typing on a laptop. He stopped a moment, cracked his neck; a sound which made my skin just crawl with a mixture of fear and disgust, and he turned his swivel chair towards me. He smiled as he saw and knocked on the wall behind him twice. He went back to typing as Haruko came out smiling her usual mischievous smile and she sat down in a small chair beside me. She threw a cold bottle of water into my lap and simply motioned for me to drink.

After doing so, I asked, "Where I am and why on earth is everything out of focus…answer me now."

She stretched her legs and replied, "In order: Reggie's penthouse flat and your vision problem is the effect of listening to my upgraded instruments. Did you enjoy last night or is your memory fuzzy?"

"I can remember just bits and pieces…why?"

"Well because you didn't indulge yourself in the music all the way. I've found something very interesting in behavioral science, Ta-kun. Music is like an aphrodisiac if used in the proper situation or applied when someone is semi-aware of their urges. It only has the desired effect however when someone completely lets go of all previous fetters."

"What effect are you talking about?"

"The effect of sexual fulfillment as well as a feeling of a completely spiced up libido. After a while, usually about five minutes, it also begins to have the effects of PCP in that you have no control over your body and are simply watching it from afar."

"So…what you're doing…is turning me into a walking sexual-laced time bomb?"

She smiled and winked, "Oh, you better believe it." she took out a piece of gum and threw it over to me, "Chew that. You're breath smells slightly of alcohol. Tell me, how do you feel having partially let go?"

"To be honest, liberated slightly but still, I'm not like you and Prof. Nocturne over there. I have controls and I don't like it when people screw with them."

She simply smiled and rolled her eyes before walking off. She came back rather quickly and threw the morning paper into my lap. She beamed proudly as she sat down and waited for me to read. Her elation reminded me so much of a child's reaction to their parent reading their good grade card. After my nightmare of a vision problem died down, I took the newspaper in my hand and read the following:

IRON SANDS: THE BIGGEST PSYCHEDELIC METAL HIT OF THE DECADE!

I looked at Haruko for an explanation and she just kept smiling proud and happy. I looked at the picture they had splashed under the headline. It showed some guy making out with Haurko but in my mind that was probably nothing new for her. My headache started up again but only in the midst of the pain did I realize something; something that scared me absolutely shitless as I looked back at the picture. The guy in the picture was me! I couldn't believe my eyes nor did I want to whatsoever. But nonetheless it was there is clear and crisp for anyone to see.

I looked at Haruko wide-eyed since there was nothing else I really could do. She just smiled a foxy grin and replied, "I will say this much, Ta-kun, your tongue tasted absolutely amazing; a cross between a sweet mint stick and hard lemonade. I'm surprised you've learned that much oral technique."

I cringed at the statement since I began to wonder why my mouth tasted funny when I woke up. Haruko just stuck her tongue out and flicked it out licking her upper lip in a swift movement. Trying to put it out of my mind, I looked at my watch. It was ten thirty. My eyes widened as I thought to myself I was going to be late for my class.

Haruko for some reason already knew the concern and calmed me somewhat by replying, "Don't worry, Ta-kun. Your classes don't start until two thirty. Remember, you've structured your schedule so that you have all day classes on Tuesday then on Thursday; you've got all your night classes. The latest one going till' about nine or so…kinda depends on the teacher."

I rolled my eyes at her to which she responded by mimicking me. I got off the bed and went over to Prof. Nocturne. He was typing about something along the lines of the influence of the Marquis De Sade. As I passed, he commented, "Didn't I tell you, you'd have a good time?"

I was groggy so I just replied as simply as I could, "You didn't tell me anything all I remember is…" that was just it, I couldn't remember anything. It was beginning to bug me as I dwelled on the problem more and more. I came back to Nocturne and asked him, "Hey what happened after I passed out last night?"

Both of them looked at me as if I were from another planet and they both asked simultaneously, "You passed out?"

I turned to Haruko who as performing what looked like Pilates and asked her rather afraid of what I was going to hear, "You're both telling me I didn't pass out like I felt myself doing? It was at the end of the first song."

"Ta-kun," Haruko responsed after I heard the bones of her ribs and back crunch and pop, "you didn't pass out after the first song. You were all over the place. I saw you. You were dancing on the floor with about ten different women kissing some of them, feeling up others. I'm honestly quite proud of you."

"Besides," Nocturne rejoined, "if you did pass out, I surely would've noticed. Either that or you would've been picked up by one of the security team. By the way, how did you enjoy the evening?

"I honestly can't remember. It's just a blacked out blur."

He just nodded but as I turned my head, I could've sworn I saw the last millisecond of Haruko winking at him. I looked at her again putting on the sternest face I could but she simply blew me a kiss before saying, "Okay, you're up now get into the shower. You smell like a mini-bar and as far as the civilized world is concerned, you can't go around smelling like that all day."

Feeling my headache well up again, headed to the bathroom to follow her advice. Who knows, the hot water might help with what I assumed was a hangover. As I closed the door, I let out a ripper of a belch and the odor that came off my breath wreaked of either beer or wine, but given my condition the odor could've been a mixture of anything. The hot water was a breathtaking relief to my senses. My skin felt like caked grime and as far as I was concerned it was a sign that I had really overexerted myself last night.

I got out and went to the guest room which I found had all my possessions in it. Somehow, they were able to transfer all my clothes and so forth without the slightest objection from anyone. I dressed in a red shirt and khaki pants. I came out of my room and upon Haruko's insistence, drank another bottle of water which seemed to kill the headache when it showed signs of reemerging. Then, breakfast came which was a generous serving of pancakes with an orange. I wanted an egg but Prof. Nocturne insisted that I not have any greasy food at least until lunch if then.

I left the apartment and headed out around campus since I believed that not only the fresh air would do me good, but it would equally satisfying to be rid of bad company for a while. As I came up the knoll which led to the main hall, I saw Ninamori sitting at one of the few tables typing on her laptop while drinking what I assumed to be coffee. I came up to her and instantly turned her head almost as if I'd made too loud a noise walking up. I saw on her computer she was hard at work with the assignment Nocturne gave us as a matter of fact, the more I read, the more I felt like a science experiment. She things labeled as: Time of Interaction, Physical/Emotional Responses, Advances Tried, etc. it was downright odd. Either she really wanted an A or she just took this approach with absolutely everything that came her way.

As I sat down beside her, she let out an exasperated sigh and I could tell it wasn't coffee on her breath but instead the smell of chocolate. I understand it gets cold but who needs a hot chocolate when fifty degrees outside? Anyway, she finished essentially making her evaluation sheet, and just looked me over. I could never tell what she was honestly thinking for it seemed her entire profile was akin to statue, completely and utterly unchangeable unless someone with balls of steel dare make an alteration. I say balls of steel for in Ninamori's case, if anyone tried to alter her business like visage, before having altered the slightest wrinkle, she would've truly most likely killed half of civilization.

"What's with you," she asked surprised to see my admittedly rather done in expression, "it's as if you've just come back from some 1980's rave or something."

"Trust me," I replied, "You wouldn't believe the half of it."

**AN: Short in terms of content I know but I hope you like it. Read and review.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It seemed it took weeks to reach the classroom where Mr. Nocturne had relocated. When we reached it, Ninamori and I that is, we were dumbstruck at what we saw. Old sketches by Da Vinci detailing the human body paired with passages from the _Kama Sutra_ where on the projector being shown all over the walls. Nocturne looked at me and motioned for both Ninamori and I to sit. It was as if we were holding up the class but in reality, there were only four people present. The rest I'm assuming had either slept in or were sleeping off a drunken stupor.

I decided to test the water and said aloud, "Good Morning, Professor. How are you today?"

He closed a book he was writing in and replied, "Fine, thank you, yourself?" his voice was soft and unbelievably calm as if nothing had occurred the night before. As if being a nocturnal party animal was just another face. I replied, "Very well thank you."

He nodded his eyes glinting in the light cast by the projector and a terrible wolfish smile broke the barriers of his pasty facial features. As we took our seats, he waited for the rest of the class to gather while taking a prop skull while saying, "_Alas, poor Yurok! I knew him well, Horatio!_" This sparked the expected response as half the class looked at him. "What," he asked rather shocked they didn't know the famous line, "Know none of you of Hamlet?" The glass then nodded as the general ripple of muttering agreement arose.

"Good!" he replied, "Now do me the favor, anyone, who can complete this line," He hunched over and began after a diabolical cackle, "_Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of York!" _Here, dead silence reigned until I was surprised by something I never expected.

Ninamori bolted from her seat and replied in a voice twice as ferocious, "_And all the clouds, that lour'd upon our house, in the deep bosom of the ocean buried."_

Nocturne clapped lightly and motioned for her to sit down. He then began his lecture and in truth I couldn't help but listen spellbound as he explained the relevance of history and the differentiations in cultures allowed for the expansion of sexual knowledge over countries and how sex was used time and time again for political gain. The lecture took an hour and a half and I couldn't believe the history of it all and how it was all true. It was shocking how so many alliances, empires, and holds on position were secured through sex and it didn't even have to be a repeat encounter.

It was after this that the new assignment began. "Now," Nocturne said aloud after he'd concluded his lecture, "the assignment for you is to take your partner who I've assigned you and go and a small informal date. This may seem bizarre by most standards but being as it is, you're all sensible adults and therefore, this project will be most beneficial. Take note of how your partner reacts to your presence in a date and report your notes first thing in the morning next week."

With that the class was concluded for the week and as I headed out, Ninamori came up and said, "Naota," her tone was the usual matter of factly, which meant she was completely inflexible, "for the date, so called, we're going to a restaurant called _La Rosa. _Have you heard of it?"

"Doesn't ring any bells, why is it one of those classy places that I know you're fond of going to?" I asked trying to get under her skin for simple petty amusement."

"No, simpleton, it's not. Didn't you hear the professor? He said, "_Informal" _which translates to casual, simple, or how else would you like me to say it?"

"No other way, thank you very much."

"You're welcome," her tone was in a mocking school girl fashion, "I aim to please. Anyhow, I'm expecting you to pick me up around seven so we can actually have a legitimate experiment. Can I count on you for that?"

"Yeah, sure. Seven o'clock how hard could it be?" I asked before returning to the apartment.

As I came up to the apartment door, I heard something weird going on inside. I turned my key cautiously in the lock and opened the door gently. I peeked inside and saw Haruko in the living room wielding an old fashioned sword with a small shield as if she were in some kind of a combat scene. I closed the door quietly as she went on noisily making the sword and shield whoosh and swish with each violent movement. She stopped a moment and after wiping her forehead with her hand, she took a drink from the bottle of orange soda on the nearby lamp table.

"What on earth are you doing?" I asked setting my bag in one of the dining room chairs, "Do you have any idea, how weird you look doing that?"

She took a rose from one of the many flowers in a vase of water and she put it between her teeth before wielding the sword so elegantly that it just seemed to effortlessly spin in the air like a helicopter's rotor. She then put the blade at my heart and replied, "I'm practicing for a play, Romeo," she struck a dramatic pose and yelled aloud, "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!"

"Just because you have a sword and shield doesn't mean you're back in the Renaissance, you know?" I said half expecting her not to listen.

"This _rapier," _she said in a sensual French accent, "is a beautiful instrument and who are you to say that being in the drama department doesn't transport you back in time? If you truly believe that, Ta-kun, then you're in serious need of a reality check."

"Seriously, what are you doing?" I asked not really in the mood for any of her jokes, "you in a play just…doesn't sound at all natural. You're one to be working at the clubs as entertainment."

She bolted towards me and pinned me to the table and she placed herself just a mere two inches from my nose. I could smell the intoxicating jasmine shampoo in her hair as well as the mesmerizing scent of the mint in her mouth. She smiled seeing that she'd my full attention and said, "There's an entire world you've yet to see, Ta-kun. A whole world. I've been fortunate enough to see not only this one but so many others. Don't ever say to me that I belong someplace because I'll only try twice as hard to defy you."

She then got off of me and asked very simply, "You know, if you're having trouble finding someone these days, I can hook you up with some very good friends of mine."

"Where the hell did you get that idea?"

"Why else do you hang around me so often and not the rest of the college community?"

"I have my studies to work on. I really don't have time to think about girls these days."

"What are you, gay? The only reason I ask is because most guys, especially at this age are sex crazed."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed I'm not," I began but the next thing I knew I was interrupted as she put me to the table again and was so close…so close. She took one of my hands and placed it on her firm but soft breast. I felt myself melt as she whispered in my ear, "Don't you even try to lie to me, kid. You're as horny as they come but you just do a good job of hiding it under all your attempts at academic looks."

"Please, give me back…my hand." I said rather meekly I must admit. But at the same time I didn't want the sensation to stop. She was so soft, so warm, and so…powerful.

She gave me back my hand and got off of me. I regained my composure as suavely as I could before asking, "Do you know of a restaurant known as _La Rosa_?"

"I know of it. Why?"

"I have to do some ridiculous assignment for Prof. Nocturne's class and it involves me dating the partner he's signed me up with."

"Oh, well in that case, be ready for almost anything. The restaurant has a very nice bar and grill, and most notably, a band that specializes in almost any kind of music. So, all I can say is just relax and have fun."

I nodded and headed off to my room. While I trusted what Haruko was saying, I just had this weird feeling of dread. Reaching my room, I thought, I might as well have another shower so after undressing and getting in the shower, I began to think about the madness that had happened what seemed a year ago. That concert, the powerful lights, the almost mind numbing music, it all just seemed all too real and yet at the same time, all too distant. I don't remember anything after blacking out. I didn't. I thought until I wore my head sore but I couldn't remember a single thing.

After I was washed up and my brain almost worn out, I came out of the shower and was drying myself off when I heard a conversation coming from the living room. I got silent a moment and listened with as much intensity as I could. I heard the following.

"_Well, what do you think? Do you think our experiment is working?" _The voice sounded like Nocturne's.

"_He and that girl are the only ones that we've tried it on that it's actually worked its magic." _Haruko responded, "_Besides, you yourself said that to see effects would take time. Well, frankly, Professor," _she sounded downright sarcastic at his title, "_you were the one who came up with the experiment and guess what? From what he said this morning, the desired side effect did its work like it was no body's business." _

_ "Well think about it like this," _Nocturne began again, "_if it does work on those simple little earthlings then things will be just fine for it's just a simple hop, skip, and jump till' we reach experienced adults."_

_ "You'll have to wait until they begin their half of the experiment before you try anything. I know you're good at your particular type of messaging but we have to recreate the same environment to make sure it all works again, see?"_

_ "Haruko-san," _his voice I could tell was more menacing than usual, "_you know of all people, I'm not a patient man."_

_ "Well, you're just going to have to learn patience then." _Haruko snapped back_, "I don't care if I am speaking to the Duke of Gloucester, you can't just rush into your experiments. As I'm sure you know, to see a true legitimate result takes a lot of time." _

The conversation died down to nothingness as I opened the door. I went to my room, got dressed in clothes I thought decent to wear to a bar and grill, and went to the living room to watch TV. Nocturne was busy meanwhile in the kitchen making a dinner which I couldn't think of off the bat but man, did it smell fantastic. The herbs and spices he added, a light dosage of cooking wine and the smell of the steaming vegetable were like heaven. I was so dazed I didn't realize I was almost drooling until Nocturne asked me if I was rabid or just hungry. Humility especially from him has been my greatest teacher so far but still, in my mind, ever since that summer with Haruko the first time she came, nothing could be worse.

"Hey Ta-kun." I heard Haruko call from my room, "what notes are you taking in Reggie's class."

"Oh, the usual." I replied, "How the world is pretty much run by sex and politics occasionally plays a part in it."

"Is that all you're getting from my classes?" Nocturne asked sounding somewhat offended, "Now I'm just sad. I know it's still early in the semester but there's more in history and sex combined than there are in military and history, science and history, etc."

"Could you give me another lecture, professor?" I asked seeing what I could get out of my professor ahead of the next class.

"Do your assignment young man and then you'll receive a lecture I'm sure on sexual deviancy," he replied after giving a cackle reminiscent of the story book witches, "If you aren't sexually deviant on this little experiment, then no lecture need be given."

"Why would I be sexually deviant with Ninamori? I've known her since I was little and besides,"

"She's too much of a prude for sex?" Nocturne asked as he filled a plate with the great smelling stuff which I assumed was his dinner, "Trust me, this is what separates the men from the boys and girls from the true women. Tempt her with sexual fun and see where it takes you because if you don't she inevitably will."

"And just how do you know this, Professor?" I asked more than skeptical about this philosophy, "Has it happened before."

"Blame it on the human condition, Ta-kun." Haruko said coming from the back of the apartment, "Reggie here has set everyone up for either a tremendous sexual failure of the best carnal experience of their lives."

I knew that Nocturne from the beginning was bad news. A creepy little man whose only vision is not to teach anything but instead learn to enslave the mind of anyone he thinks needs a sexual boost.

"No, Naota." He said almost as if he'd heard my thoughts, "That's not at all it. Try reassessing the problem and see if you can come up with a different solution. In the meantime, why don't you watch some TV with Haruko while I go prepare for my night job?"

He got up and after handing Haruko the plate of food, went off to his own room. I sat down on the couch and turned on the weather forecast which promised light showers this evening but heat and sun throughout the rest of the week. Haruko sat down beside me and put the plate of food on the table in front of us and watched with a bored as hell look on her face. Realizing she'd be bored out of her mind if we kept watching, I handed the remote over to her which she eagerly grabbed and changed the channel. She changed the channel to HBO and the movie of the evening, _The Phantom of the Opera. _I sat back and watched the film for it was something I wasn't familiar with. To me, the movie was like one of those treasures you hear about but don't know just how good it is until you experience it.

It was long into the evening before I heard a knock at the door. I opened it to find Ninamori standing in the hallway. She was angry, that much was certain. Her arms were crossed, her gaze sharp, it was just beautiful seeing her mad.

"I knew I couldn't depend on you showing up on time so naturally, after doing some digging around, I had to find you here. Care to explain?"

"There's nothing to explain, Ms. Ninamori," Noctrune said from behind me, "Naota was asking for some help on the project that I gave you today. Guidelines, if you prefer the more liberal term."

Just how that man got behind me without making a sound, I have no idea and what's weird was he was wearing a dark blue tuxedo with silver lining, a fedora and sleek black shoes. He put his hand on my shoulder and motioned me out the door so as to go on the date. I turned back to where I thought he was only to have emptiness greet me.

"What are you waiting for, Naota?" Ninamori asked while looking at her watch, "Come on, we're going to be late, lets' go."

I closed the door and headed down the stairs to the complex's entrance. We walked out into the parking lot and when we got to Ninamori's car, my jaw dropped. The car was a gem. A black Mercedes-Benz E350 Bluetec. I so desperately wanted to drive but thanks to Ninamori's through inspection of my various ID cards, such a thing was an impossibility. Besides, it was her car but at the same time, I so desperately wanted to drive it. The ride was smooth as silk and surprisingly quiet. I wanted to speak but considered it better not to since I was already late as far as Ninamori was concerned but then, if there's one thing I've learned from my summer with Haruko is that sometimes life is more interesting when you don't always go by the rules.

Within twenty minutes, we came to a stop right outside a lavish looking restaurant but before I could get out of my seatbelt, I felt the massaging mechanisms in the seat kick in. I relaxed and sank further into the seat as I felt Ninamori's cool hand touch mine.

"Naota," she said her voice unusually quiet, "I want you to enjoy this tonight. I've gone to a bit of effort to make sure you enjoy yourself by that, I mean pulled a string or two. So, I know this is supposed to be informal but I don't care. Just be yourself. This place has great food, a wonderful band, just relax and let's try to have fun."

She turned off the massage function and after I got out of the car, I escorted her into _La Rosa. _We were escorted to a table and after we'd gotten our drinks, a man's voice came over the microphone, "Ladies and Gentlemen, at five minutes till' we'll begin the numerous dancing song requested by so many of you out there but until then, please, enjoy our music and we hope you all have a pleasant evening."

Half expecting to see Nocturne, I turned and I inspected each member of the band and to my relief, no Nocturne or Haruko in sight. We ordered our meal and waited for the entrée to arrive. Ninamori looked very pretty although to be honest even though it was under the pretenses of an informal affair I knew that she'd done her makeup quite well. I sat back and let the music slowly begin to sink into my brain. Only then did I hear the sound of a voice I'd never thought I'd hear again, "Hey, Chief. How are you?"

_**AN: I know it's been a while since my last update but with university out of the way, hopefully that won't be much of a problem anymore. So please be honest and by that, of course I mean,**_

_**Read and Review. Thank You.**_


	6. Chapter 6

AN: **I own nothing of Roy Hamilton's work, **_**You can have Her. **_**Nor The Eagles' **_**Hotel California. **_**All property rights and claims go to their proper holders none of whom I am associated with.**

Chapter 6

I turned my head and Mamimi Samejima stood to the side of me, her date holding her arm. He was a good looking young man and knew how to dress in style at least for it seemed that Americans knew how to dress in such a way naturally. He wore shorts and a shirt that were a size too large but apparently he'd grown accustomed to wearing his clothes this way so that it didn't bother him. I looked at Mamimi and she looked shockingly beautiful. It was the first time I'd seen her in a school uniform and despite the formality of her dress, she seemed nearly perfect. Her red hair was straightened and every part of her looked like for some strange reason as if it had either been pressed or polished.

"It's surprising to see you again, Mamimi." Ninamori said, "What brings you around these parts?"

"I heard from some friends that Ta-kun here was in the city so I thought why not drop by to catch up?" Mamimi responded, "Besides, I've not seen you either when I stop to think about it, Ninamori."

"Who's your friend?" Ninamori asked.

Mamimi looked to her date and replied, "This is Bruno Marx a friend of mine from the _Sinclair Reporter."_

_ "Sinclair Reporter?" _Ninamori asked, "A newspaper I take it?"

"Yes. I'm one of the head photographers on the paper in charge of most big press deals."

As I listened, the more and more I was impressed. Here was Mamimi, a former derelict turned intellectual. I suppose that when you follow your passions, your expectations are far exceeded by reality. Once Ninamori and Mamimi got caught up, it took a moment for Ninamori and me to realize that the tray holding our food had arrived. The food for a restaurant with an informal dress code was surprisingly good. Mamimi and Bruno sat in the booth behind us and we began to eat our meal. As we ate, I noticed Ninamori watching me not like a science project as she had before but with an oddly different light in her eyes.

I finished my meal and when the waiter took my plate, I noticed something peculiar with Ninamori. She took my hand in hers and led me out onto the dance floor. The musicians weren't set to go for another few minutes but Ninamori slipped them a piece of paper and after looking at each other, the musicians began to play and sing the old hit by the American, Roy Hamilton, _You Can Have Her.__  
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My heart was racing the entire time from the time the vocals began. I was completely entranced by how Ninamori was taking this whole supposed experiment. She was really legitimately enjoying herself and it was…odd to see. She danced with me and when I was close enough to her, she'd whisper the words of the song in my ear. In a way, the song reminded me of that first summer I spent with Haruko someone who just wanted someone to play with and nothing more. I couldn't deny that then I was in love with her then and for some strange reason, I knew that I was slowly falling in love with her again. As I danced with Ninamori, I kept reflecting on Haruko's many qualities. Her charismatic almost inexhaustible spirit, the way that she could seem to brave a storm and still come out and say no matter how horrible it was that it was just a slight breeze. At times, I couldn't decide if it was her near craziness for getting me killed or her pure love of life and everything in it that drew me to her. I kept dancing with Ninamori and as the song wrapped up, I was just getting comfortable with the song and was to be honest, was rather disappointed when it ended.

But it wasn't over just yet. Once the band had finished, the leader came forward and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please grab that sweetheart and get ready to be taken to the land of dreams for this next song is one of my personal favorites."

The lights around us dimmed and a slow sultry saxophone began to make itself heard. The song was slow and somewhat melancholy but it was a guess a calming period considering the song we'd just listened to. As I danced with Ninamori, I noticed something really strange. The music seemed to echo in my head. The conversations I was hearing soon became garbled and disjointed but then Ninamori's voice broke this strangeness making her voice and her voice alone the only clear audible thing in my head.

"Naota," she asked, "What's the matter?"

I couldn't concentrate. It was as if my body were going into overdrive. Things which at first seemed so slow were steadily becoming so incredibly fast. My breathing became deep and heavy and my vision became somewhat blurred. I looked around and just barely saw out of the corner of my eye Haruko barely visible in the shadows. I got up and tried to make it over to her but so great was my vertigo, I might as well have been walking in a weightless simulator. I sat down in a nearby booth and Ninamori came to my side.

"Naota is everything alright?"

"No." I replied, "Something is really off here."

I took a drink of water and laid my head back against the soft cushioning of the booth. My head felt like it was about to melt. I opened my eyes and to my surprise, everything was stable. I looked at Ninamori who was at this moment sitting across from me. I noticed that Mamimi was coming over to the booth.

"Hey, Chief, what's going on? You seemed a little out of it out on the dance floor. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm…fine."

I knew I wasn't. Haruko and that damned professor were definitely up to something. If it was some kind of drug it was working but the effects were too surreal to be just a drug. It had to be something else. For some reason that episode I had made me feel powerless almost as if I were a marionette on strings.

"Naota, come on. Let's get you home." Ninamori said after taking a drink, "You're obviously not well and I don't need you getting sick here and making a scene."

She took my arm and after saying goodbye to Mamimi, and paying the bill, I went with her back to the car. I sat down in the passenger seat and she rolled down the window. I looked over at her and she seemed as if she was somewhat defeated. I tried to offer up an apology but she simply raised her hand as if to silence me. We kept traveling along but I realized we completely passed up the apartments where I was staying.

"Where are we going?" I asked as the shadow of the apartment building faded further and further off in the distance, "Do you even know."

"I said I'd take you home, Naota." She responded, "I thought you'd like to take a look at the place I call home."

We continued to drive for about ten more minutes until we came to a very nice looking apartment complex. The name of the complex, _Diamond Falls Estates _had a pleasant ring to the ears. Ninamori pulled into the parking lot space number twenty eight and turned off the ignition. She exhaled a brief moment and then looked at me. It was as if she were assessing me. Mapping out my weaknesses and finding my strengths all at the same time with a stoic expression that would make even the local undertaker envious. She unlocked the car doors and got out only after I had done so and closed the door. She then stood by my side and lead the way to her apartment.

Setting foot into the apartment's lobby, I felt like a third class passenger on the titanic. A massive crystal chandelier hanged from the ceiling and copies of several major classical and renaissance paintings were on the walls. We walked towards the elevator and after getting in I saw the button to the fifth floor being pushed. As we went up, I looked again at Ninamori and she showed no emotion but instead simply tightly clenched her fists. The doors opened to the empty hallway and it would've been somewhat dark if it weren't for the electric imitation oil lamps on the walls. We headed down to the very end of the hallways and then went up a spiral staircase before coming to a door all by itself in a cold hallway.

Ninamori took a key out of her inside coat pocket and unlocked the door. She let me in. The room was spectacularly furnished. Valuable paintings seemed to be on every wall and everything was in perfect order. Ninamori went off to the bathroom while I entered the living room and sat down on the sofa. Ninamori it seemed had absolutely everything in terms of comfort. A fifty-inch flat screen television, a perfect car, and a well furnished apartment. I let my head fall back against the sofa's soft back and I let myself relax. The sound of the crickets outside soothed me gently into a half sleep until my phone rang. I took out my phone and answered the beckoning ring.

"Hello, who's this?" I asked since I didn't recognize the number on the caller ID.

"_Well done, Ta-kun." _ Haruko's voice came from the phone, "_Play your cards right and this could be a very eventful night."_

I got up from the sofa and turned the sliding door window that lay behind the couch and walked out onto the little patio and surveyed the parking lot from high above. I scanned the parking lot for any hint of the pink-haired menace and found nothing.

"Where are you?" I asked, "Why are you following me?"

"_Closer than you might imagine." _She replied with a chuckle, "_Also, I'm not following you. Just observing how everything goes for you. Is that some kind of a crime?"_

"You were there at _La Rosa!" _I said with fury, "I saw you and tried to get to you before you vanished as you always do. Just what are you trying to do exactly? Keep toying with my emotions and things won't be so pretty, Haruko."

"_Ooh, is this a threat, Naota? You know I can have you arrested for threatening a faculty member? So I'd watch my step if I were you, you little horny pervert."_

"I'm no more perverted than you are you crazed abomination from another dimension!"

"Naota," came Ninamori's voice from behind me, "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine." I said with a bit of anger in my voice as I pushed the end call button on my cell phone.

Ninamori was wrapped in a satin robe with finely stitched pink flowers. She put her arm around me and turned me gently back towards the interior of her apartment. I headed back in and sat back down on the couch. Ninamori sat down beside me and turned on the TV. It wasn't until a bit later that I began to feel tired. I let Ninamori know and she turned off the TV, gave me a blanket, and went to bed.

As I slept, I felt as if hand were gently slowly wrapping around my neck. I opened my eyes and felt the hand still there. It wasn't a threat for the squeezing sensation had stopped and been replaced with a very odd massaging motion. I shifted my gaze downward but then, my gaze centered itself again as I felt it. Slowly and repetitively I felt the soft sensation of lips kissing my neck and slowly moving upward. I turned my head and saw Ninamori slowly moving up my neck with her lips. I attempted to roll over onto my back so I could get up but once on my back, she pinned me with her arms which were surprisingly strong. I struggled a bit more and then I heard my phone ring. The ringing had an effect on Ninamori and her body fell on my back.

Seeing it was the same number as before I answered, "What?"

"_Don't fight her, Naota." _Haruko said, "_Right now she's in the depths of ecstasy so by that argument, why shouldn't you be?" _

"What the hell are you doing, woman?" I asked her growling, "The phone rings and she goes limp on my back."

"_Think of this as also part of an experiment. In a little while, she'll be back to where she was but her actions will be…shall we say, amplified?" _I heard her giggle mischievously over the phone.

"I thought this experiment was just on me." I told her.

"_Oh Naota, it was at first but Prof. Nocturne thought of an even juicier idea. Have your experiences not only affect you but instead afflict all your associates with the same feelings. It's going to be so much fun!"_

She then hanged up. As she did Ninamori came back to life and she turned me over after some effort onto my back. She pressed her lips to mine and forced her tongue into my mouth exploring me as it were. She then used her hands to determine my shirt and unbuttoned it exposing my chest. It was then I heard the lyrics and faint beat. I tried to listen but my mind was so preoccupied with this pleasure. The stimulation of it all and then I realized it. The more I indulged in this, the more the music came to prominence. The song I remembered from years ago but I couldn't for the life of me remember the name and frankly, didn't give a shit. The sensations of Ninamori were amazing; her animalistic love making, her soft touch, all of it.

Naturally you may be wondering why I enjoyed it so much. I don't know. To this day, I probably will never know but all I do know is that Ninamori and I were in tandem that night. As the night ended, she lay on top of me our bodies hot from the passions of sex and as we stopped, the song still played. After that all went black and I fell asleep more contented than ever. The ending lyrics of the music I still remember.

_Mirrors on the ceiling,_

_The pink champagne on ice_

_And she said "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device"_

_And in the master's chambers,_

_They gathered for the feast_

_They stab it with their steely knives,_

_But they just can't kill the beast_

_Last thing I remember, I was_

_Running for the door_

_I had to find the passage back_

_To the place I was before_

_"Relax, " said the night man,_

_"We are programmed to receive._

_You can check-out any time you like,_

_But you can never leave! "_

_**AN: Please Read and Review. I know it's been a long time but hopefully this chapter is worth it even though it is admittedly short. **_


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